NSW Touch Football and Central Coast Council are pleased to announce a new venue for the 2019 Country Championships, with Central Coast Regional Sporting and Recreational Complex awarded hosting rights for the annual event.

Central Coast Council Mayor Jane Smith said the announcement was a great follow-up to the recent announcement of the venue’s hosting of the 2020 and 2022 NSW Junior Regional Championship.

“Touch football is a growing sport in our region and to be able to showcase the best the sport has to offer in NSW is a real coup for the Coast,” Mayor Smith said.

“It is great to see the Sporting Complex is living up to the promise of delivering major sporting events to our region.

“This event will deliver both a significant boost to our local economy along with an opportunity for our community to see some of the state’s best touch footballing talent in action.

“We thank NSW Touch Football for their support of the Central Coast Regional Sporting and Recreational Complex and look forward to these events taking place.”

NSWTA General Manager Dean Russell said it was a significant undertaking to bring the event to the region.

“This particular area, and indeed those surrounding, have always been big supporters of the NSW Touch Association Country Championships,” said Russell.

“For many years now, local participants have travelled across the state to participate in this competition and now they have an opportunity to compete in their own back yard.

“To be able to bring a prestigious and important event like the Country Championships to the Central Coast is rewarding for those participants who have long supported this event”

The 2019 Country Championships will be held on October 19-20 and sees the best regional touch footballing talent competing to be crowned NSW Country’s best and serves as an important pathway for athletes looking to secure positions in the 2020 NSW Touch Football State of Origin team or attain higher representative honours.

The Central Coast Region has a fantastic touch football participation rate and it is hoped that many will try their hand at this event in preparation the 2019 State Cup, with the venue being both easily accessible for participants across the state and being perfectly set up to host the Country Championships.

Russell estimates that with 1300 participants and officials, joined by significant family and friends travelling in support to the destination, the event will deliver an expected economic impact of $1.3 million into the local community.

“The ability for the event itself to deliver an economic impact into communities is really pleasing and is one of the attractions to why Council’s such as Central Coast Council are interested in securing our events.” Russell said.

A media opportunity will be held closer to the event where NSWTA General Manager Dean Russell and Central Coast Council leadership will formally launch the 2019 Country Championships.